Anjie Coates
During her 34 years in the grooming industry, Anjie spent as much of it learning about every aspect of not only grooming but about business. She knew she had to share the knowledge she had gained and began teaching grooming, and business so others could learn the secrets of her success. This has also led her to teach Pet Tech First Aid & CPR classes for pet professionals and pet owners alike. Her passion for continuing education shows through in her achieving CMRG (Certified Master Rabbit Groomer) as well as CCE, ACG, and PGC. This brand ambassador for All For Groomers is currently publishing the first rabbit grooming book in the industry.
Denise Heroux
Denise Heroux has over 25 years of grooming experience, is an educator and speaker, and owns Awesome Paws Pet Salon; a Cleveland-based chain with 3 locations with active plans for expansion. Awesome Paws fosters a healthy environment for employees and pets with a focus on employee investment and learning. While managing all locations and a staff of over 25 employees, Denise finds time to work with the local pet pantry to help with donations, attends events to aid local pet charities and founded the Ohio Professional Pet Groomers Association. This association focuses on setting a higher standard for pet safety, business-building opportunities, versatile learning experiences, and creating legislative fluidity in the industry. Denise has given live seminars on business subjects at industry events that focus on business owners expanding their salon with employees, building a sustainable work culture, and how to handle employees within the workplace. You may have listened to her on both the Women PetPreneurs and Small Business Hiring podcasts. She is passionate and dedicated to help create good work environments for business owners and employees.
Grayson Robertson
Grayson Robertson is an Information Technology project manager by trade but has been involved with his wife’s pet grooming business as the Chief Financial Officer for the past three years. He has a deep background in leveraging technology to solve business challenges and successfully running the business side of a grooming organization.
Kyla Williams
I was born and raised in Palm Beach County. It is a very diverse community. I went to public schools with wealthy kids in high school. We all had big plans of where we were going to college. I graduated with an elementary ed. degree and later two graduate degrees in Ed. Leadership. I taught for 17 years and not one of those were as lucrative or fulfilling than being a groomer with my own businesses. After 17 years 0f teaching I opened my own business. The many cultural differences I learned from those wealthy classmates I carried on in my personal life. I’m here to say hiring people of different backgrounds can be of great benefit for your business if they are heard. Everyone has some skill or talent that will enhance your business. I encourage you to look at others that may not look like you. They want an opportunity and more so they don’t want to let you down. If they do, remember it’s just like any other groomer…they can be extra, but when you find one who thinks the world of you and your business, thank me later, you’ve hit ajackpot. My name is Kyla Williams. I am an African American, neurodivergent, mobile and salon owner in the Atlanta area.
Mary Oquendo
Mary Oquendo is a professional speaking strategist who works with seasoned as well as novice professional pet speakers. Mary understands the importance of not just encouraging the next generation of educators, but to give them the tools to effectively present and organize their knowledge to the next generation of pet professionals in an easy to digest manner, along with the necessary technical skills to keep ahead of the competition.
Mary is the host of two award winning podcasts, The Traveling Groomers & Women Petprenures.
Mary has worked with thousands of students and has beamed with pride as she watched as professional pet educators reach and change the lives of their students.
Mary was awarded the 2012 David Salzberg Outstanding Contribution To The Pet Industry. Mary was first nominated for a Barkleigh Honors Award in 2012 and has been every year since.
Before founding Pawsitive Educational Training, Mary has spoken and continues to speak at numerous professional pet educational conferences since 2006, as well as been published in Groomer To Groomer and Natural Awakenings magazines as columnists.
Mary got her start in the pet industry in 1998, when she answered a help wanted sign at a corporate grooming facility and in 2002 operated Pawsitively Pretty Mobile Grooming Salon until she retired in 2019.
Mary’s first student was a mobile grooming client who was coerced into taking her pet first aid class. Once the class ended, her client hugged her and thanked her. From there it was no stopping her
Mindy Dinwiddie
Starting out as a career woman, she worked in both Law Enforcement and the corporate world. After overcoming cancer in 2006, She decided she was going to do something that would truly make her happy. She quit her current job and began working under a local groomer to learn the tools of the trade. Now owning her own family run grooming business, she has worked hard for the high standards of comfort and care that they give all their canine clients. Every chance she gets, she still works to further her education of new techniques and tools. She also travels variously throughout the year to help in the education of others in different topics of grooming. These include Asian Fusion, Tools and Products of the Trade, and my most popular, Caring for Geriatric and/or Obese Dogs.
Misty Gieczys
Misty is an IGA Certified Master Groomer and has won many Best in Shows, Best All Around Groomer. She was on the US Gold Winning Model Dog Team in Taiwan and took BIS Creative. She won the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Award for her Charity “Groomers for Groomers.” Nominated for Creative Groomer Barkleigh Honors and awarded IJA Creative Groomer. Misty started grooming in 2005 and helped open 3 other salons. She owns 2 upscale salons in Columbus Ohio with a staff of 20; Designer Paws Salon. 1st opened in 2013 and second in 2018 with receiving multiple service awards.
River Lee
My name is River Lee and I’m on a crusade to help fellow pet professionals! My broad and niche pet industry background lend a unique perspective to help busy pet professionals live a life they love. I am the founder of the Savvy Groomer, a business where I teach groomers about personal finances and business growth on their terms.
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